Deming green landscapes

In Tamil Nadu, the government is planning to build solar-powered green houses for rural poor. It has allotted Rs.1058 crore for construction of 60,000 houses.

In Maharashtra, near Mumbai in the Thane District, Govardhan Eco Village, a community in India, has built buildings with compressed stabilized Earth blocks, Rammed Earth Technique, Cob Houses(ADOBE Bricks) with traditional thatched roofs. These buildings have received a five-star rating from GRIHA, an Indian Nationwide Green Standards for Buildings, a wing of the famous TERI.

Traditional buildings

Traditional buildings were energy efficient because architecture depended on the places. Buildings in the hot and dry regions, had corridors directing the wind to cool naturally. In wet regions, structures using natural light and breeze, were used. Some examples are

• Hawa Mahal – Articulated windows provides cool breeze in a desert area
• Golkonda – Ventilation is designed to let in fresh cool breeze, in spite of summer.

The traditional building practices were utilized in constructing the Dhyanalinga. Mud mortar stabilized with lime, sand, alum and some herbal additives was used.